Chasing the Serpent's Tail
by CodeLyoko
Summary: Love came in many different ways, but getting sent to the hospital wing after getting hit by a Bludger during a Quidditch match was not a way he had expected it to come in. After that incident, the Italian found himself unable to get away from a certain redhead... Will this new-found rivalry really turn into love? Pottertalia AU, Scotalia.
1. It Started with a Bludger

Hello my beautiful readers, new and old! I began to get back into the lovely Harry Potter fandom again (not that I left), and am enjoying feeling like a kid again, and it's all thanks to a lovely fanfiction on here called Quidditch House Rules! A lovely USUK for those who like the pairing! Now, I do know this pairing of Scotland and 2p Italy is an extremely rare and crack pairing and now has climbed to be one of my OTP's, however please let me explain. I have an ask blog where I portray Luciano, and with a lot of backstory and character development with this Scotland, we now have a nice following of shippers on tumblr now. So I hope you can look past the strangeness and that I can bring that character development that brought so many people into this new ship. Now I'll try and stop rambling now, so please enjoy and possibly review so I can see what you all think!

Oh, and fun fact: this went from almost 700 words in the first drabble I wrote to over 5000. Talk about inspiration right?

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…_ era of the Renaissance was a time of change through Europe with the goal being a more realistic style being depicted.__ Although this revolutionary way of art began in the 14__th__ century in the city of Florence, Italy, many theories still are proposed to this day why it began in this one town instead of all over Europe preceding the Black Plague that wiped out a considering number of the population. The cultural movement lasted from the 14__th__ century to roughly the 17__th__ century, an important turning point in muggle art._

_Of the many main techniques used during such time, a famous example of the technique of sfumato was none other than the beloved Mona Lisa. In order to create such a masterpiece, one blended one shade into the other to create depth, form, and volume, adding to the three dimensional appearance of the canvas. It is to be noted that many techniques seen during this era show the same dimensional approach. As another example, there is a technique called chiaroscuro which uses the contrast of light and dark to give the illusion of the depth in a painting, which was further developed into another form called tenebrism by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio in which objects seem to be emerging from the blackness._

_Fresco was a unique technique that is split into two types, buon fresco and fresco secc-_

Ink flowed onto the paper in a neat quick scribble, the owner trying to quickly write as many words while they popped up into his mind. It didn't help he had to excuse himself from most of his Art lesson so that he could get ready for the Quidditch match, and his Muggle Arts class, although canceled for that day, the assignment would still be due after the match was done. Thus he was frantically finishing the rest of his essay on the Renaissance art movement and the techniques that were beginning to emerge. Art interested him and was always a favorite past time, but at this point, he could suffer not getting full credit. He really shouldn't have spent all his free time watching Kiku take pictures of various magical creatures, or attempt to do the extra credit of taking care of the hippogriffs foals. He was only a page away from completing the assignment when he heard his name being called.

"Luciano! Vargas, get your ass up here before the captain get back!" He briefly glanced up at the keeper as she tied her hair up, before realizing that it hadn't been her who called his name. Blinking, the red-eyed male directed his eyes towards the similar eyed male who was walking up to him with a big grin. Normally he would ignore the boy, but there was a match to attend after all.

"Your homework can wait until after dinner! Captain's not gonna like that."

"Oh bite me, it's due right after the match so I need to get most of it done… It's not like I'll lose focus during the match, anyways. I'd like to sleep early tonight. If you forgot, we have double History tomorrow." Lips twitched up in a smirk when the white-haired chaser groaned, clutching his head. He muttered something along the line of 'Don't remind me!' and 'Can I borrow your notes? I fell asleep.' to which Luciano simply shook his head. Regardless of how boring the class still was – the same professor still taught it – it still was required every year. He capped his ink and shoved his essay and quill back into his bag. He would be able to finish it later. He stood up and stretched to flex his spine before he re-tied the leather strings to hold his Quidditch robe on. The gauntlets were next, fastened snug against his forearms to protect them from harm. The silver and green material looked nice against his skin, bringing out his red eyes and his auburn hair. Briefly wishing his flyaway curl would simply lie flat against his head, he refused to remember that red and green were usually Christmas colors.

"This match will be ours, da?" A cheerful voice asked behind him, causing him to spin around. How the hell did their captain and beater sneak up behind him? His eyes widened slightly. The tall purple eyed Russian simply smiled down at him, finding a way around the rules again to wear his beloved scarf. Luciano recovered and smirked up at him.

"Are you kidding me? That snitch will be mine. I heard their new seeker is still trying to get her act together. We'll be fine." The smirk grew as the Russian nodded, feeling satisfied at that answer. Luciano wasn't bluffing at all. He sometimes heard a few rumors about the other Quidditch teams, but then again, it was hard not to. It wasn't as if they were trying to be kept secret, and Kiku, his best friend, had the easiest time finding out anything from gossip. Gryffindor's last seeker ended up transferring to a new school – no one knew why, probably family trouble- and a third year took the spot after several hopefuls tried out.

The fifth year student was thankful that he made it onto the team his third year when Slytherin's seeker graduated. Luciano made sure that his tryout had not been one to forgot, so in Ivan's eyes he was quite pleased with his performance as long as he did his job. And boy did he love it. Flying through the air with only one goal – to catch the elusive golden snitch… Well, that and make sure not to get thrown off the broomstick by a Bludger. Those things were nasty when they hit you. Luckily he only got several bruises before in their games the past two years, so starting this year off with a nice clean slate would be the best.

"I'll try to keep the Bludgers away from you, but no promises. I want to see all the other players scatter before us like the little people they are." That smile the seventh year had on his face always creeped him out a bit, well, the whole team really, but he wasn't too bad. Nodding to the captain, the team gathered around him, awaiting his pre-match speech. Well speech wasn't the best term for that, technically it was more of a few words before he told them to grab their brooms and get in line.

"There is only one thing I expect - win. They may have won the final match last year by 10 points, but this year will be our time, da? Grab your brooms." The whole team cheered with big smiles, or smirks, on their faces and rushed to grab their brooms. An announcer was just getting started on saying who the match was against, not that it was needed or anything, as the first game of the season, they all knew who started it off. The seeker quickly walked over to where his Nimbus was, inspecting every inch of it like he always did. He remembered his parents saving up for the newest Nimbus, even his older brother pitched in a bit for it for his birthday as a present for getting onto the Quidditch team. A soft smile replaced the smirk, brushing his thumb over the customized carving of his name on the handle lined in silver.

Sure he would have wished to get the Firebolt, or one of its newest line, but that was still too expensive for his family, and a Nimbus was just as good for what he needed. He liked how it was similar to the 2001 version, with the dark wood that was polished black. The dark strands of twigs came to a nice point behind, streaked with lines of silver to make it look 'flashier'. The bells and whistles of spells attached to it was the package just over the standard one, but he didn't care for that. Just the prospect of having such a wonderful broom underneath him had been enough to win him over. And at least no one would have known about his excited freak out over it on his birthday, except for Kiku of course.

Quickly shaking his head, the Italian hurried after his teammates, staying behind them in the order they had always decided on. The keeper was at the head, followed by the two beaters, three chasers, and then the seeker at the end. It was a simple formation, but he loved the reaction that they get out of the crowd. Luckily the hostilities between the houses had diminished drastically after Voldemort had been defeated, but Quidditch matches still brought the worst out of people, being as competitive as it was. And Slytherin still was the snake in the corner, according to most students. Swinging his leg over his broom, he waited, hearing the announcer begin to announce the Slytherin team.

"And now for the serpents of the castle, the ones who nearly won the house cup last year – the Slytherin Quidditch Team!" Instantly the Slytherins roared with school spirit, and several members of the other houses joined them. Already the Gryffindor team was in the air, awaiting their rivals. Gilbert ahead glanced back at Luciano and gave him a thumbs up before he kicked off. Shaking his head he followed his team, back straight and eyes darting over the crowds as he trailed behind. As soon as they got to the middle of the field, they charged at the Gryffindor's team, identical smirks on their face. It was a game of chicken, but the Slytherins whooped and pulled up, lining into a v formation as each player did their own individual trick.

Gilbert twirled in the air before he slid down onto the foot stand of his broomstick and held it upright, releasing one hand to salute the audience with a charming smile. With one wink, he sent a few girls squealing. The two beaters swooped at each other, hitting each other's sticks while they took their position, Gilbert sliding into where the chasers were. Luciano on the other hand zoomed past them all, going into a loop before he let go of his broom, using his legs to stand up on it, facing the other seeker. He bowed towards her, loving the roar of applause. Too bad they had not been able to see what that team had done to show off. It was a good way to start their competitive edge and show off a little to please both themselves and their fans. Some of the Gryffindor team rolled their eyes at the flashy maneuvers.

Sliding back onto his broomstick properly, he heard a whistle that succeeded in getting everyone's attention. Glancing down at the coach, both teams quieted down. The woman below seemed to look similar to that one flying coach from so long ago, before any of them had been born, what was her name? Eyes sharp like a hawk's, strict yet well loved? Oh he couldn't remember. But this one had similar eyes that watched them like a bird of prey, and although many considered her to be quite the softy when not doing school duties as both flying teacher and Quidditch referee, she was a stickler for the rules with her passion for the sport.

"You all already know the rules. Any foul play will be called out by me. If I see anyone other than the seeker _attempt _to go after the snitch…" The threat of that hanging sentence unnerved everyone except for Ivan, so simply smiled down at her happily. There were a few instances where it had gotten so throat cut competitive that a few players had gone after the Snitch themselves. It had not been pretty, as the referee went livid, quite literally. Regardless, everyone nodded and the woman walked to the box that held the Quidditch balls.

With one look back up at the two teams, she waved her wand with a harsh flick of the wrist and the Bludgers exploded from their containers, nearly knocking one of the Gryffindor's off their broomstick. The Snitch hovered over the Quaffle, teasing the two seekers. The referee ignored it as it then flew lazily around her head, grabbing the Quaffle. Everyone's breath froze in their lungs, waiting for the start of the match. Even the announcer was unable to come up with any words at the moment, waiting for it, for the surge of energy to come crashing down like a wave on the beach. The Quaffle was thrown into the air, and with it, the Snitch followed.

"Let the match begin!" A piercing whistle was once again sounded and the chasers immediately dived for it, a Gryffindor chaser snatching it just out of the fingertips of Gilbert, who cursed at her. Instantly Luciano forgot about the Quaffle, diving underneath Ivan as a Bludger headed his way. The Russian's beater stick made a booming CRACK as it sent the ball hurtling away to an incoming chaser who nearly broke her broomstick swerving out of the way. He yelled back a 'thanks' to his captain, gaining altitude as he tried to figure out where the Snitch went. After it climbed up with the Quaffle, the swarm of chasers hid it from view. He cursed to himself, keeping an on any Bludgers that would come his way, and the other seeker.

A key point when being a Seeker was how you couldn't only rely on your own talent, you have to always pay attention to the other players, hints they would give off if they noticed the Snitch. The audience also gave out clues, never ones to bite back a 'Look, there!' or 'Oh, did you see it?'. It was almost hilarious, one _could _call that cheating, but the Italian liked to simply say it was observation. The only problem with Quidditch was playing in the rain. Visibility was well reduced and the occasional struck by lightning scenario was never something that he found fun. After all, it happened to too many of them over the years.

A flash of red caught Luciano's attention, thinking it was the Quaffle, but apparently it was the red-haired beater. That always distracted him; not as if the hair was horrible to look at, it was rather a lovely shade - and god knew how much it was his favorite color – but when he wanted to keep an eye out for every ball in play, it always mixed him up. Eyebrows furrowed in annoyance as he stalled above the Ravenclaw stands, spying Kiku for a moment down below. His eyes trailed after the beater, who apparently was swinging his beater stick at his companion, obviously up to something… he would have to be careful. Wait… his vision narrowed in on the beater again, catching a glimpse of something.

Was that plaid?

Staring again, he deadpanned, almost wanting to facepalm out of the sheer obscurity of it. The boy was wearing a kilt underneath his outfit, a _kilt_. He probably never really noticed it before, but enough of wondering how strange some students were, the Snitch awaited his fingers. Smirking, he pointed his broomstick and shot through the air, scanning the fields below him. To fly like this had always been considered a dream by many muggles, yet wizards and witches had been able to live out this dream for many centuries.

The wind whistling through his hair and clothing was something the Italian always had loved. Becoming a seeker, so that he could fly through the air with speed on his side - that had been his dream, and now, his reality. Going on three years, and hopefully until his seventh year, the Italian was sure he would be able to have a lasting impression on the Quidditch team. It wasn't as if he'd try pursue a professional Quidditch career, no, as competitive as it was, he didn't want to have his favorite sport spoiled for him with that. After finishing his last year, he'd probably call on his friends and colleagues for a friendly match once and a while, maybe even let his older brother player keeper like he wanted to.

You know, Flavio wasn't that bad at Quidditch now that he thought about it… But what was he kidding, he had a match to focus on! Tuning back in to it all, he realized the Bludgers were being kept well away from the seekers, other than Ivan nailing it towards the other seeker just to scare her slightly. The dangerous ball hadn't been anywhere near where it could have hit her, just stopped her concentration on where she thought she saw the Snitch.

"Keep your wits about you!" A small chuckle followed the taunt and he few past her, ignoring her frustrated growl and comeback, the words lost in the wind behind him. Annoying several of the other team members was always fun, and it was the highlight of every Slytherin Quidditch member's game, more their specialty. Rile the opposite team so that their mind was not completely focused. Thus teamwork would not work as well in the end. Glancing over at the scoreboards, he checked the points. Slytherin just pulled ahead by twenty points while he was around looking for the coveted golden ball. Nodding, he knew they always wanted to make sure to pull ahead with enough points before the Snitch was sighted. It was a strategy they always agreed on. It always sucked when they thought they had enough with just the Snitch only to realize how close the game had been without much scoring.

There!

A flash of gold had been pointed out by the sun herself and he went into a nosedive before he realized what the Snitch was planning… Shit. Bracing himself, he went into the lower stands, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins alike having to dive out of his way as he fought to keep his speeds up. He heard Gilbert's obnoxious laugh as he flew by with the Quaffle, followed by the other three Gryffindor chasers. The Snitch adjusted course flying up the tower stand suddenly and Luciano had only a split second to avoid crashing into the banner-laden tower. He climbed, arm stretched out to grab the ball when he was sent spiraling out of the way, nearly colliding with the other team's seeker as she dove to grab it.

Damn, she had seen it as well. The Snitch once more disappeared from view as she fought to quickly get their descent under control, hearing gasps and concerned shouts as they both hurtled past the lower stands. Straightening his own broomstick just in time to avoid splatting against the ground, he glanced back to see how the other seeker faired. She had made it as well and shook her head, glancing over at him. Now Luciano wasn't a gentleman, but he nodded towards her in respect, though in the girl picked up on it was beyond him. The Italian seeker never bothered to memorize their faces or names, he never really interacted with many of the Quidditch players unless they were on his own team, and even then they were merely teammates, not friends.

Well, Gilbert was alright as it was. Ivan, not so much.

He dodged a beater as he tried to knock a Bludger near him, rolling his broomstick upside to shoot through the group of Gryffindor chasers and past two of his own teammates. He smiled, seeing as they still hold possession of the Quaffle. But apparently not for long as a pass was intercepted and the opposing chasers changed course to turn the tables, although the Slytherin chasers went on the defensive.

Biting his lip and attempting not to get involved with his other teammates, he spied the Snitch racing towards the Slytherin's goals. Immediately he was off, gaining speed as he pressed his body as close to his broom as possibly to prevent windbreak. Meters and then soon feet separated him and the golden prize, listening to the excited whoops filling the air around him. It wasn't so far away now, he could literally see the golden segments of the Snitch as it fluttered, testing the ability of the seeker. The sun glinting off its shiny surface almost blinded him, and relief set in when the sunlight was dulled by slight wisps of clouds. All he had to do was keep it in his vision.

A warning from one of his team's chasers sounded out and he just managed to swerve, avoiding the offset Bludger as it sought to knock him off his broom. He heard the curse as the Gryffindor seeker behind him had to do the same. She was catching up fast; he had to catch it now! He didn't thank whichever teammate that had called out the warning; he'd be able to do that after they won the match. And since this was the first match of the season, bragging rights would be included.

According to the barely heard sound behind him, he figured that she was beginning to struggle. Allowing a confident smirk to grace his lips, Luciano stretched out his dominant hand, guiding his broomstick with his left one. He was nearly there, only a few more inches and the golden ball would be caught. Just a few more-

The Italian froze as he heard the deafening crack of the Bludger meeting a beater's stick nearby. The smirk dropped, eyes widening as he turned to the left just in time for a Bludger to connect against his ribcage. He heard bones crack and crunch under the pressure and hot waves of pain overwhelmed him, barely recognizing the scream of pain was his own voice, sounding so alien. He tried to take a breath, but found his lungs barely able to take in oxygen without pain flooding his senses.

The ground began to rush up on him, holding onto his broom as he went into an almost nosedive. Darkness began to spread across his vision, a mash up of horror-filled gasps, screams, laughter, and concerned yells blending into a giant rush of wind. He was out before he hit the ground.

Luciano slipped in and out of conscious constantly, unable to form words when he awoke, hearing bits and pieces of conversation that made little since alone. He knew he heard Gilbert's voice, but it was distance and warped. Pain seared through him, overwhelming his system as he tried to breathe, taking him back into the sweet painless darkness. At one point he felt something travel down his throat, a vile-tasting liquid and knew that he had to be in the hospital wing. He sputtered and nearly coughed it up, ribs protesting immensely.

"Swallow all of it, boy!" a faraway voice demanded, not letting him squirm away from it. He obeyed long enough before he again slipped into darkness. Dreams eluded him, just darkness that made him feel as if time had fast forward with no time delay.

A dull ache was what awaited him, turning into a hot jab if he moved to his injured side. He bit his lip to stop from gasping out in pain, not wanting to show how much it still hurt. Damnit… He thought whatever the nurse had made him drink would have taken care of it… Had it really been bad? If he had to stay in the wing for more than one day, he was going to kill that person. Almost immediately, he saw slight movement near him and glanced to his left, frowning slightly. He expected that it was Gilbert, smirking down at him, but… no… It was that red-headed beater. Why was he? Oh, that's right…

It all came back to him - the boy in front of him had been the reason why he ended up here in the first place. Was he there to laugh at how he was unable to catch the snitch, that his dodging skills were horrible? However, the more he studied how he looked, the more he thought differently.

The Gryffindor was rubbing the back of his head like he was lost in thought, staring off out into the fogged up window where it was raining. Wait? When did it start raining? And how long had it been? Confusion began to well up within him, especially as he took in the boy's expression. It was so strange, his eyes, from what he could see with his bangs slightly in the way, so intense with regret, and something else he couldn't quite put a finger on. It was as if he had been thinking hard about something, trying to come up with an answer to a question he was thinking. Quickly narrowing his eyes as the beater turned to glance over at him, only to blink in surprise, Luciano growled.

"Why the fuck are you here?" That snapped reply was not something the sixth year student had expected to hear from the injured Slytherin. He blinked again, trying to get his thoughts in order. Alistair had not expected the seeker to be so rude, okay, he did send him to the hospital wing, but still… He had wanted to see if he was alright. Simply shrugging it off, he sheepishly smiled down at the younger teenager, a bit embarrassed as he spoke.

"Eh… sorry about all that. I was trying to aim at me brother, I swear! Your teammates were here earlier, but the nurse shooed them away for making a loud ruckus about losing. I wanted to stay here and apologize." Luciano pursed his lips at that Scottish-accented reply. Did he honestly expect him to think that he wanted to see the very person who put him in the damn wing when he woke up? And what was with that excuse? Did he look like an idiot who couldn't see past a lie when one was spoken? He wasn't some oblivious first year who would just blink up at him with large owlish eyes and just accept the damn apology.

He winced at the ache that made itself know as he tried to sit up straight. Concern shown into those - damn such a brilliant blue color - eyes and the beater reached forward to try and gently push his shoulders back before he hurt himself. Angrily, Luciano slapped his hands away, ignoring the twinge in his shoulder.

"Don't touch me! You really think I would believe that you attempted to pass to another beater when he wasn't even near me, you damn idiota? He was right beside you to the right." The Italian snarled up at him, fury showing quite clearly on his face. Truthfully, he shouldn't have been so riled up over a simple game, or at something trying to look out for an injured comrade. But this wasn't just about the still on-going Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry, no…. this was about his pride being damaged by not being able to have dodged out of the way as soon as he even heard that damn bludger coming… He used to brag back then about his quick reflexes that snagged him the position of seeker on the team. Not only did he have the small frame for it, but his eye for observation still served a highly useful skill, even off the field.

If there was one thing Luciano couldn't stand, it was being made a fool out of. Though technically that wasn't completely what happened, his short temper did get the best of him at times. It was one of the most well known facts about him that circulated the school. Never chase after a serpent or try to pick one up by its tail, because one may find a set of fangs sinking into their unprotected hand… The idiot didn't even bother to offer his name either. Perhaps he should have paid more attention to the names of everyone on the other Quidditch teams…

Damn Gryffindors…

Before the other had a chance to respond to his words, watching those slightly chapped lips begin to open and those bright eyes narrowing slightly at how unreasonable the Italian was being, Luciano decided he didn't want to be in the presence of the annoying beater or hear his voice again. Since he was unable to leave the bed to get away, he settled on the next best solution.

Grabbing the glass of water that had been left on the dresser near his bed, he turned and threw its contents at the redhead, glaring challengingly at him, as if daring him for a rebuttal. Sputtering in surprise and shock, Alistair stared at him, most of the front of his Quidditch robes soaked, same for his gauntlets. Did that Slytherin brat actually do such a childish act in an attempt to make him get out? Almost immediately the expression in his eyes shifted from sheepish to narrowed eyes and an annoyed scowl. He ran his hand threw his wet hair, trying to strain the liquid out so it didn't flop down into his eyesight. It wasn't even the fact that he did that that was so rude, he had pleaded with the nurse for the chance to apologize. After seeing exactly how the beater had hit the lad, the guilt had set in.

As if the looks from the Slytherin team hadn't been enough…

"Shut it and leave so I can get some rest. You cost me the Snitch, and I promise you… Next time our teams are matched, my team will destroy yours. You can count on that." Luciano's dark eyes flashed with purpose. Even if he had to catch the Snitch in the first few minutes, he would do that. There was no way that he will let his own team lose against the Gryffindors again. This time, the match would be personal. The Gryffindor beater better watch out next time.

With his words said, the Italian turned onto his good side, not wanting to look at the redhead's face anymore. He slightly winced at disturbing his now-healing ribs, ones that were no longer broken, but still aching sore. The lung was a different story, as it only now set in that he was struggling for breath even now. With his back to the other boy, it efficiently ended their conversation, silence falling since they were the only two in the wing.

The silence lasted for three minutes, the beater trying to say something before he got up, grabbing a hand towel from one of the dressers and wiping his face with it. Luciano wasn't sure, but he swore he heard something along the lines of 'Damn brat… Not even accepting a simply apology.' but he wasn't sure. He huffed, hearing the beater leave the room, leaving the Italian to his thoughts. He closed his eyes, attempting to fall back asleep so his body could heal, but in the darkness behind his eyelids, all he could see was the image of the Gryffindor looking out the window, lightning accenting his features and that strange look in his eyes. He didn't understand why, but perhaps his love of art made that instance stand out so much, and why it refused to leave his mind.

Not able to toss and turn, the seeker simply lay there, the image continuing to burn in his mind until the pounding rain on the window lulled him into an uneasy and dreamless sleep, awaiting the morning when he could get back to his studies.


	2. Lunch in the Library

Hello again readers! Welcome to second chapter! I got lazy and had forgotten to update this, and if you are a reader of my other stories, I am sorry, I've been running low on motivation and it's been difficult to write. But please enjoy! Be sure to review and tell me how you liked it!

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If it wasn't enough that his assignment for Muggle Art had been considered late and still not turned in as of yet, Luciano's bruised lung had the nurse worried and he was kept for another day for observation. The Italian was less than excited about that, especially since he had to make up a long essay on the history of the late giant wars and do a translation of an ancient script for Ancient Runes… Kiku could help him on those, especially with whatever he missed in Charms and Herbology that morning. With the load of homework that they had been assigned each day, he would have to spend most of his free time trying to catch up, and that was something he would not look forward to doing.

Running a hand over his face, he glanced over at the windows that he was passing, hearing a loud clap of thunder overhead. Was it still raining? The curtains of the windows in the hospital wing had been drawn and a charm casted around the room to keep out outside noise. When he had left there were three new additions to the beds – a Hufflepuff who had suffered from a misfired charm in class, a Slytherin who had been on the receiving end of one of the famous Weasley Wizard Wheezes's Puking Pastilles, and a Gryffindor who had somehow gotten hexed while walking from class. Them and a group of students that were making a ruckus near the nurse' office. He had been under the impression that the rain had stopped, but he had not gotten updated with the few visits he had gotten – Kiku being the main visitor other than a brief hello from Gilbert.

Lightning streaked across the sky, seen even through the rain-splattered windows. Pausing, he stared out there, watching the forest in the distance blow in the wind, clouds that just let a few stray beams of moonlight through angrily rolling across the sky. One hand shifted the weight of his bag, given back to him by Kiku's first visit, and sat down on the ledge of the nearest window, feeling the coolness of the outside even from a few inches away. There was always his underlying fascination of thunderstorms, something he enjoyed since he was a child, much to the fright of his older brother, who on the other hand was a bit scared of them. It had been something to do with him nearly getting electrocuted while riding his first broomstick when he was little.

Pressing his palm to the textured glass, he sighed, perspiration coating the cold glass. Later that afternoon after his art class, he had been hoping to either visit the thestrals – he couldn't see them, but Kiku could – or go down by the lake and relax before dinner was served. But seeing as the weather wasn't cooperating… Oh well. Another bolt of lightning cut through the air, striking the ground somewhere near the lake.

"There you are. Out of the hospital wing I see, da?"

Damnit!

Luciano's neck hurt after it snapped to look behind him at the tall Russian who somehow crept up behind him when he was lost in thought. How the hell did he always manage to do that? It always made him jump even if he did expect it. However, the strained smile on Ivan's face told a different story to his happy voice. Wherever that beater was, Luciano knew he better be careful. Ivan had never been the one to take one of his team members getting hurt likely. The least he'll get off with would be a well-placed cursed. And at worst?... Well he didn't want to think about it. Other than that, Ivan was a nice guy once you got to know him. He knew that he and Kiku's oldest brother were close at least.

"In case no one had brought the news to you, dueling club starts up midway through dinner next Wednesday. All of the team is coming, and practice tomorrow is canceled due to weather. Next week should be clearer, so I hope to see you on the field soon!" By 'no one' Luciano knew he meant Gilbert had been the messenger, but he wasn't reliable to relay news at times. He nodded in confirmation.

"I'll be there, no worries. As long as no one misfires again."

Ivan chuckled slightly, remembering the event quite well, having nearly been caught up in it. The Italian knew that Ivan was happy for his recovery even if he didn't say anything about it. It showed in the tiny fraction of happiness that wasn't already in his smile, half hidden by the scarf. The older student patted his shoulder roughly and went on his way, the smile never fading. Checking the time on the nearby old clock, he got up and continued to the library. He had just enough free time to spend almost two hours in the library, that is, if Kiku was in the library like always.

The hallways were rather quiet even though a few were quite crowded with several students wandering around with barely anything but classes to go to. With it raining, normal hangouts for their free periods were limited to what they could entertain themselves indoors. Rumbles of thunder and the occasional lightning strike did little to light up the already lit corridors, although the random clap of thunder that sounded too close to the school did make a few students near him jump. Hiding a smirk with his hand, he headed towards the library and up the stairs, waiting almost impatiently as one began moving to where the library entrance was. Several students came up behind him, heavy books in their arms almost toppling over when the staircase stopped moving.

The library seemed to be nearly filled, every table in the open front end taken, while the ones that were in the corner of the bookshelves remained sparsely populated. Most of the fifth years and even quite a few other years seemed to have chosen the library as their new hangout spot. A frown drifted onto his lips as he scanned the huge room. It wouldn't be as quiet as it should but… The librarians would have their work cut out to make sure it never went above a murmur.

Stumbling behind him, a Ravenclaw almost knocked into him, carrying several large books, a sixth year she looked to be.

"Oh sorry!" she apologized, giving him a small smile before she readjusted her grip on the books, continuing to the nearest table. Nodding and giving her a smile back before she turned away, Luciano set off into the heart of the library, looking up at the tall ceilings. The higher levels would be quieter, but it was so far out of their way, plus Kiku and he preferred to be close to the back of the library near the restricted section. Many of the bookshelves back there captured their attention.

Shelves upon shelves passed him by as he walked, and he managed to catch a glimpse of one of the librarian assistants putting away a huge stack of books. There, sitting at a lone table that was tucked away near three bookshelves, was none other than his friend Kiku. He was nose-deep within whatever book he was reading, typical of him. A fond smile lit his face and he dropped his bag onto his table, startling his friend out of his quiet reading. Apparently his ability to read the fall of others' footsteps to identify them was undermined by reading. This only made the Italian even more entertained.

"You were finally released?" The shorter student looked amused now, leaning on one hand as it supported his head. He had been wondering exactly why it had been taken so long for him to be let out. The workload he missed was not something the Slytherin was looking forward to, he knew.

"Yeah, the nurse wanted to make sure my lung was alright. But um… Can you tell me what I missed from Charms and Herbology?" Luciano rubbed the back of his head as he sat down, keeping his voice low so as to not disturb the other occupants of the library.

"In Charms we started learning the silencing charm on the fwoopers that our teacher was lent. In Herbology…" Kiku paused briefly, "Professor Longbottom has brought in a nice batch of Fanged Geraniums to garden, but because a few of our fellow students didn't listen and put on their gloves before we began to take care of it, she had to send them to the hospital wing for a quick checkup. She decided we shouldn't continue to the fire seed bush for a while." The Slytherin thought back, remembering the group of students who had been ushered into the nurse's office and then sent away a few minutes later. So that's what had happened…

That reminded him… Apparently this week, and soon next week, many fifth years began to be called into the career counselor's office to discuss their future job or jobs. Usually they were called in during their free periods, so he had no idea when it would be his turn. He would get an owl whenever that happened though. Did Kiku get called yet?

"Have you gone to talk to career counseling yet?" The crimson-eyed Italian raised an eyebrow, not wanting to start working quite yet. Although his art class was soon, both he and Kiku never had any trouble with that class; it was a breeze.

"The surprise on the counselor's face was very amusing, you would have enjoyed it. When I told him I wanted to be a magizoologist as well as use my future experiences to become a wandmaker, he found himself at a loss for words. Apparently not many students who go into his office have a set goal for their future job." Kiku allowed himself to smirk ever so slightly, watching Luciano try and smother laughter. Too bad he hadn't seen the sight.

"Magizoologist? Where would you study?" Luciano asked, curious. It meant he would be traveling a lot, though usually they like to specialize in certain types of animals.

"All around the world if possible, but I want to focus on the yokai found in my home country; although the muggles have compiled a great amount of information on them, most of it is superstition and far from the truth."

As soon as the Italian attempted to speak, seeing as it was a job well suited to the Japanese student, his stomach growled quite loudly. One person, who was rummaging through the transfiguration section of the library stacks nearby, apparently was startled by such a loud and unexpected sound that the book he was trying to get ended up falling on top of him and knocked him to the ground. Luciano would have had to stifle a laugh if not for trying to control an embarrassed blush that spread across his cheeks.

The Ravenclaw boy's eyes fluttered over to Luciano, raising an eyebrow in amusement. It wasn't that easy to get the boy so flustered, so naturally he enjoyed the show while it lasted. He snapped the heavy book he was reading shut – something about rare plants that could only be grown in one's house – and smiled just briefly. Judging by how loud the growl had been, the food the Slytherin had been fed in the hospital wing had not been enough for him. Searching in his bag for a slightly squished cloth knapsack, he glanced around to make sure the librarian, or even the assistant librarians, wasn't around before he pulled it out. He missed the hungry look of the Italian as he produced a perfect onigiri from the folds of cloth, handing it to him.

"I saved four onigiri from the table during lunch. I know you'd rather have pizza or pasta, but they'd be rather messy to carry around with me." Waving off the subtle apology for not having his favorite food, Luciano bit into the still warm rice ball, tasting teriyaki chicken in its depths. He always loved trying food from the other's country, and he was thankful that the cooks in the kitchen were able to make foods particular to the students who were eating. It was an ingenious idea for the kids who could be homesick for their own country, especially the international students such as him and Kiku.

Comfortable silence fell upon the two, the shorter boy returning to his book. Luciano stole two more of the delicious snack, stomach gladly accepting the food. The sticky slightly salty taste of the rice combined with the warm chicken was like heaven upon his lips, licking up the traces on his fingertips. Wrapping up the last one, he handed it back to his best friend, feeling guilty how much the boy always went through the trouble for him. No matter what happened, Kiku had always been there. He fondly remembered their first meeting, Kiku had nowhere to sit during the train ride and had politely knocked on the door…

"_Sumimasen…__ May I sit here?" The Italian blinked, jerked out of his sleepy daze, turning his attention on whoever was speaking. Hesitant golden eyes stared back at him underneath neatly cut black bangs. He was wearing some sort of clothing that he recognized from Japan, a dark blue kimono, and the small jacket with a beautiful cherry blossom design on it. Without thinking he nodded and waved his hand towards the other bench, sitting up straighter now that he had company. The other carts must have been full, but no one had really bothered to ask to come in. It was the middle of the train, so it was a bit strange._

"_Arigato." The boy bowed from his waist and went to put up his bags onto the top compartment__, struggling only slightly from his height – to which he refused Luciano's help – before he sat down. He tilted his head slightly before asking the new occupant his name, sticking his hand out for a handshake._

"_I'm Luciano Vargas. It's nice to meet you!" The other boy hesitantly looked at his hand before he took it, bo__wing his head. In response to the greeting, he spoke in his natural language before he realized he hadn't spoken in English._

"_Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Honda Kiku desu." The Italian chuckled, smiling and encouraging the boy to repeat what he said. He remembered hearing how the Japanese people were incredibly polite and were a bit shy on using their English speaking skills. Plus it would be nice to make a new friend this quickly. He never was one to avoid people and go through the school year without anyone by his side. His family of two – his grandfather and brother, were close-knit and he valued close company._

"_Ah, gomenasai… I meant to say, my name is__ Honda Kiku. It is nice to meet you, Vargas-san." Kiku had expected the other to perhaps be a bit hesitant with his accent or where he was from, but the Italian-accented boy in front of him seemed quite at ease. Luciano waved off the way his name was said._

"_Please, call me Luciano, that's way too formal for you to be calling me by my last name." The encouraging look returned and Kiku hesitated, before he shook his head, declining. Instantly that made Luciano want to get to know the Japanese boy enough so that finally, when they were close enough, he would use his name without a suffix. Hearing a small grumble from the other's stomach, he had to hide a grin._

"_Sorry, Honda-san, you already missed the trolley, but here," the brunette handed him a chocolate frog, "I bought plenty for the train ride to Hogwarts, so feel free to have anything on the seat you want." The Italian waved his hands to the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Cauldron Cakes, Fizzing Whizzbees, and Chocolate Frogs that covered his side of the cushioned seat._

_Kiku looked surprised, more so at the fact that Luciano was attempting to be polite back by using his last name and a small smile crept forward onto his lips, accepting the offered sweet. Wishing to return the favor, he pulled something out of his sleeve, a triangle shaped clothed object. Luciano bit into the one of the cauldron cakes, tasting the delicious chocolate flavor before he realized that he was being offered something. Putting the cauldron cake back down onto a wrapper, he took the now unclothed object. It was white and slightly sticky, and he recognized it to be rice._

"_Onigiri. My onii-san… older brother, made it for me."_

"_Brother?" The Italian raised his eyes to question the other, curiously. He bit into the onigiri, rice ball, as he would later learn, and realized it tasted amazing. No filling, but just the rice itself was very delicious__._

"_Hai, my brother. He's a third year, Ravenclaw." There was a hint of a small smile on his lips, but it vanished. Luciano smiled. One thing they had in common, b__rothers._

"_My older brother doesn't go to this school, but he's…. a handful." He burst out laughing, imagining how his brother would have hated wearing such plain clothes at Hogwarts. Although Kiku didn't understand what was funny, he had to hide a tiny smile from the Italian. His laughter was quite contagious. Opening the chocolate frog, he found out that the frogs had apparently gotten craftier, this one jumping immediately out and wiggled through the unlatched door of their compartment. When did they have more than one jump? Frowning at the loss of a chocolate frog, although there was a generous pile of them across of him, he picked up the card that he received. Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived. It, although many people had it already, still was valuable because everyone continued to rave about what he had done. Still, he did like collecting and trading the cards. It was all the rage back in his homeland._

"_Say Honda-san… What do you think Hogwarts will be like? We can be friends, right?" The smile on Luciano__'s face was so bright, that Kiku had a hard time not matching it. A nod was all it took before they began to discuss what to expect._

Upon the realization that he had been staring at a piece of a parchment for a couple of minutes, not noticing that his Japanese friend had put down his book to look at his friend, the Slytherin shook his head. That had been so long ago. Through the entire first year, they became great friends, finally allowing Kiku to drop their last names and begin calling them by their first name without any ending suffixes. It had been one of the happiest days of that year. Kiku raised an eyebrow in questioning, having wanted to ask what made his friend so spacy. The soft smile on those lips made his curiosity perk even more, but he remained quiet. Instead of discussing what he had been thinking about, he returned to their previous conversation before his stomach had rudely interrupted them.

"So…. You want to become a wandmaker as well?" It wasn't something that Luciano would have expected from Kiku, and perhaps that was how the counselor thought too. He was surprised, wanting to know what inspired him to want to pursue this as well. He, on the other hand, had no idea what he wanted to do. So many choices, but none so far really pulled at him. Being a professional Quidditch player, although that would suit him, wasn't a long-term job, so he wanted something he could enjoy. Kiku smiled wistfully and looked towards Luciano.

"Hai, with being able to study these magical creatures wherever I travel, I will be able to determine if there are any other magical cores that wands can draw their powers from. Of course it would be difficult, I would have to work hard at the first prototypes to even consider making it a business. But it would be fun, especially since I can help prepare the new age of wizards." Kiku said quietly, a fond expression showing in his eyes. Luciano looked dumbfounded, thinking how impressing it was how well thought out this idea was. The Japanese student almost chuckled when he watched his reaction. He had always wondered if the few wand cores he had known about, along with the lesser, not as powerful cores like kelpie hair and troll whisker, were the only ones that could be used. Experimentation was vital in this, and perhaps he would be one of the people to expand the supply.

His own core was dragon heartstring, and he remembered that his older and younger brother had unicorn tail hair, and Luciano had a phoenix feather. The wand shop that had replaced Ollivander's was struggling with an apprentice trying to learn the tricks of the trade from an elderly master, but sought to preserve the three main cores the famous shop had upheld. Perhaps, if this shop failed to live up the expectations in the years to come, he could buy it out and start a new business… But not until he managed to study more on this. Perhaps this would lead to searching the restricted section, but he had already taken out his fill of books.

"Say Luciano…" Said Italian tilted his head, obviously still interested in Kiku's hopeful business as a potential wandmaker. Would he take an apprenticeship back in Japan? It saddened him, since it reminded him how they had to depart after their last year at Hogwarts. Sure he knew that they would keep in contact, but other than the summer, they hadn't spent much time away from each other… And with his hopeful job, it meant going quite a while with possibly little to no contact.

"I hate to ask but… My book limit for the library is maxed out, and I need all of the books for extra studying. Could you perhaps go to the restricted section sometime to check out the copy of _Wands: The Magical Properties of Their Wood and How Their Cores Work_? It shouldn't be chained to the bookshelf like _Curses Meant to be Forgotten_…" That last book brought up bad memories, frowns coming to both of their lips.

As third years, they had wanted to collaborate on a group essay that focused on the history of curses. They had gotten the note from their teacher to go look for a book they cross referenced, but ended up finding the curse book by chance instead. Both the young students had shrugged and flipped it open, only to find that the pages began to tear out of the book and various screams of different language shrieking out of the book, rattling the chain that prevented it from being taken out of the section. Nonetheless, they had been terrified enough that they slammed it shut and hightailed it out there, only to have to return for the proper book a day later.

"Sure, I have four book slots left to fill." A bonus was how fifth years didn't need a note now, so he could go whenever he caught up with his schoolwork. He was happy to help jumpstart his best friend's career, as it was something he could do for the one who had helped him so much. And perhaps he could find a book on jobs in the magical world somewhere in the library. The smile that increased on Kiku's lips only brightened his day. Which reminded him… Ivan had mentioned the dueling club; he wondered if the news of it had spread quickly.

"Did you hear that the dueling club is starting again next week?" The mention of the club brought a confused look to Kiku's face instantly.

"Dueling club? It was a failure last year…" The memory of that certain incident had almost scarred the students who had joined. A misfire of a certain reduction spell, no one knew who had casted it or why someone had thought to use such a spell in a dueling club, had destroyed a portion of the room. A professor shut the club down to deal with the situation, but the club never gathered again after that.

"Only because some idiot decided to use a spell to blow up most of the classroom. We never found out who it was." Luciano sighed. Apparently they would be getting a professor to properly overlook and run the club so such an incident would not be repeated. Kiku thought it over and then nodded.

"It would be interesting to go and try it again. We all did enjoy it when it was restarted two years ago. Count me in." Dueling would have allowed them to let off some steam while preparing for O.W.L.'s and the piles of schoolwork they still had, so it would help in the long run. Across the library, a certain fourth year Hufflepuff looked around carefully, his brown eyes traveling over each and every face he found before they locked onto the back. Nearing the back, quietly walking through the small aisles of the library, they landed on the very person they were looking for.

"Hyung! So this was where you were hiding, da ze~" The Hufflepuff ran up to him and flung his arms around the quiet Ravenclaw, who immediately stiffened, unable to turn and push him off. There was a tirade of people shushing him from around the library, and an assistant sharply glared over at them in disapproval. None of that seemed to deter the smiling Korean, who looked down at his uncomfortable brother who was considering pushing him out of his personal bubble.

"You said you'd help me on my potions homework! I keep screwing up the ingredients." The younger brother complained, lowering his voice slightly to prevent getting kicked out. Kiku pursed his lips, finally managing to nudge the clingy brother off of him. He turned to him in disapproval, ignoring how he pouted slightly. Yong Soo, his younger brother, flailed his oversized robe sleeves, trying to explain in a hurried whisper exactly why he needed him, and not their eldest brother, Yao, to help him. Luciano simply was having a good time, trying to conceal muffled snickers at the poor Ravenclaw's annoyance.

"Please you -" Whatever Yong Soo was going to say was lost to Kiku when a hint of red caught his attention. Instantly his already narrowed eyes became harder, distracting his younger brother who was suddenly confused to where his attention had been diverted to. Instantly two more pair of eyes followed his gaze. The Italian stiffened slightly, his smile dropping instantly off his face in a split second. Just his luck to see the Gryffindor walking over with two other Gryffindors, and a Ravenclaw. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Kiku glance over to him. Shaking his head, he grabbed his bag and stood up.

He wasn't wanting to stay in here with that boy, still annoyed with losing the match and the lie he said when apologizing. Sure it could be him being childish over holding this grudge, but with his temper, it was well known in the school. It was why many tried not to get on his bad side, and Alistair had hit the first spot on that list. He never looked back, even when the redhead had noticed he was there and looked over, as if wanting to call out to him.

"Outside, now…" Dark hazel eyes jerked over to Yong Soo and he sighed, motioning for him to come as well as he grabbed his books and bag as well. The Hufflepuff simply nodded, still confused as he followed the two through the bookshelves. Behind them, the small group of students had begun to sit down at the table that had been nearby where the other three had been. The smaller one of the Gryffindors looked up at his brother, seeing as how he had been distracted. Wait. Wasn't that the seeker he had knocked off the broom?

"What was that about?" the Ravenclaw, Arthur, asked, looking up from the book he had been reading while walking. Alistair shook his head, sighing even when Alfred looped his arm around his shoulders and squeezed them, telling him to loosen up already about that. Easier said than done, honestly. And it wasn't as if Alfred had known how it felt to knock the seeker out and see the look in his eyes as he slowly headed towards the ground… He rubbed his forehead, replaying that image in his mind was horrible.

"Why didn't you just go after him and apologize?" the shorter one, Nire, asked, glancing up at the redhead as they began to sit down at their table. He set the three books he brought down and then looked over where the two had vanished. The looks they had gotten were… he frowned. Alistair sighed, looking aggravated, just managing to sit down without being loud at it. That glare he got from not just the Slytherin, but that Ravenclaw as well… And it wasn't as if he didn't apologize! He had tried but the boy hadn't wanted to listen.

"He wouldn't listen…" he muttered, pausing before he turned to stare in the direction they left in, Sighing and rubbing his forehead, he decided to simply launch into his studying. Although the N.E.W.T.'s weren't until the end of the term, the amount of homework they were given each and every day – gods he was losing sleep over this – took longer than usual to finish. If anyone thought getting an Excellent, or even an Outstanding in the O.W.L.'s would prepare them for what lay ahead… Well the N.E.W.T.'s definitely held up to their namesake. He could feel himself already losing his mind over them, and they weren't even near! He had to be getting white hairs over this…

However, one particular thought kept popping up… That Slytherin… Once more he raised his eyes to look at the entrance, or at least where it was hidden behind bookshelves, where Luciano and his two friends had left. Running a hand through his hair and ignoring the other three talking, or rather just Alfred and Nire, he returned his gaze to the tiny text in the book before him.

In the end, he never did get around to studying.


End file.
